Valve-spring-compressing clamp



G. P. WEBSTER.

V ALVE SPRING COMPRESSING CLAIV IP. APPEICATION FILED JAN-2, 1920. RENEWED JAN. 27,1921.

1,374,694 Patented Apr.12,1921.

PATENT ornce.

7 GEORGE P. WEBSTER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

VALVE-SPRING-COMPRESSING CLAMP.

Application filed .Tanuary 2, 1920, Serial No'. 348,865.- Renewed January 27,1921. Serial No. 440,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful 'Im rovements in Valve-Spring-Com pressin lamps, of which the following is a speci 'cation.

My invention relates to improvements in valve spring compressing clamps of the form commonly known as valve lifters thatare'adapted to beused for compressing the springs on the valves ofinternal combustion engines preparatory to removing such valves from an engine.

The object of my improvement is to provide a valve spring compressing clamp that is simple and durable in construction; that may "be uickly and easily manipulated either to 0 amp or to release a valve sprlng and that has few cheap to construct. I

Another obj ect-is to provide a valve spring compressing clamp of this nature having a novel and efficientlever arrangement for imparting movement to a main thrust bar parts and is relatively and having quickly releasable ratchet means for holding such thrust bar 'in any depressed position. v

A still further object is to provide a peculiarly shaped clamp frame that is'particularly well adapted to be used in loca tions that are difficult ofaccess as for instance on V type motors.

The invention consistsin the novel con struction, adaptation and combination of parts of a valve spring clamp as wlll be more clearly 7 hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a clam constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view'of the same. Fig. 3'

is a view in elevation with one of the side plates removed of the head portion of the clamp. \Fig. 4 is a view partly in plan and partly in cross section'substantially on a broken line 4 of Fig.1 and Fig. 5 is a View in side elevation on a reduced scale springs under compression while certain locking devlc'es' 'on the lower ends of the valve stems are being removed preparatory to takln out the valves' The springs of often located in positions'diflicult of access 'so that the removal of the valves requires inaccessible.

Referring to theaccompanying drawings, throughoutfwhich like reference numerals designate like parts, I have shown a clamp frame comprlsing a normally horizontal top portlon 6, a normally vertical side portion 7 and inclined lower side portion 8 and a frame portions 6, 7, 8 and 9 forming a clamp frame which is substantially rectangular except for the beveled corner formed by the portion 8. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat f d Ap 12, 1921.-

these vaves are relatively strong and are i normally horizontal bottom" portion 9, the

The forward 'end' of the lower frame por-Q tion 9 is provided with forked" or bifurcated foot member that is formedby cutting away the lower portion of the front end of thefra'me bar 9 as shown inFig. 1,

center as shown at 10 in Fig. 4 and'then riveting a separate piece 11 of substantially the same shape as the bent end portion 10 to frame member 9 so that the jportions 10 and 11 constitute a symmetrical'forked foot member that is adapted to fit over the stem' '12 of a valve memberl3 in an engine 14 as indicated in Fig. 5. p

. The upper portion 6 of the clamp frame has plates 15 and 16 se c ured to the opposite sides thereof by means of rivets 17 which pass through the plates and through the clamp frame. 7 V I The plates'1'5 and 16 project. forwardly from the end of the frame portion 6 and are supported in spaced apart relation by blocks. or shims 20 and 21 which 00 operate with the plates 15 and 16 to form a guideway 22 for a movable-clamping bar 23, the plates 15 and 16 and the blocks 20' and then bending such end to one side of the 21 being rigidly secured together by rivets 17. The plates 15 and 16 are provided on their front edges with forwardly projecting lugs 24 through which extends a transverse pivot 25 upon which is fulcrumed the lower end of a link 26. The upper end of the link 26 is connected by a pivot 27 with the end of a lever arm 28, which lever arm 28 secured by a pivot 30 to the top end of the clamp bar 23, the arrangement being such that when the lever arm 28 is moved up and down the clamp bar 23 will be moved lengthwise within the guideway 22. The link 26 forms a movable fulcrum for the leveriarm guided for longitudinal movement by a clip 34 andby the block 21, the upper end of the block 21 being spaced a short distance below 7 the bottom edge of the frame portion 6.

The bar 33 is urged forwardlyinto engagement with the ratchet teeth 32 by a helical tension spring 35' that is connected with the bar 33 and with a transverse rivet 36 that extends through the plates 15 and 16.

The outer end of the bar 33 is turned downwardly as at 37 to form afinger hold by means of which the bar may be withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet teeth 32,

the downwardly projecting portion 37 being near enough to the vertical portion 7 of the v clamp frame so that both of these parts may be grasped simultaneously and the bar 33 moved by exerting a squeezing movement with the hand.

In operation after the necessary parts of the engine have been removed so that access to the valves may be had the bifurcated foot formed by the portions 10 and 11 is inserted beneath a washer 38 that supports the outermost end of a valve spring 40, the lever 28 is raised far enough to permit the clamping bar 23 to enter the upper end of the cylinder block and the lever 28 is then depressed thereby causing the clamping bar 23 to engage with the top side of the valve 13 and. the foot to lift the washer 38 and compress the spring to, thereby permitting the removal of a stop 41 on the valve stem so that when the spring compressing clamp is released the valve maybe lifted out of the motor. The clamp is used in a similar manner for compressing the springs when the valves are replaced;

of the clamp bar is The pawl 33 byits engagement with the teeth 32 serves to'hold the springs in any compressed position and may be quickly and easily released by the operator.

' The peculiar shape given to the clamp frame by the angular corner portion 8 enables my device to be used on several types of motors where a rectangular frame or a C shaped frame could not be used, as for instance on the V type motor shown in Fig.

5 -where the angular corner avoids interference with the block of the twin cylinder opposite the one from which the valve is being removed and also avoids interference with the exhaustpipe 120f such cylinder and still allows the clamp frame to be so formed as to provide ample room inthe upper portion thereof.

It will be understood that changes in the 3 form, dimensions and arrangement of parts of this device may be resorted to within the scope of the claims. j i What I' claim is: I V 1. A valve spring compressing clamp comprising an open clamp frame having a straight top side, a forked foot on the lower extremity of' said clamp frame, guiding means at the upper extremity of said clamp.

frame, a clamp bar guidedby-said guiding means for movement toward and away from said foot, said clamp bar having ratchet teeth formed in the rear edge thereof, a

7 spring pressed pawl guided for movement along the lower edge of said straight top.

frame portion and arranged to yieldingly engage said teeth to prevent movement of said bar away from said foot member, a downwardly projecting finger hold on the outer end of said pawl and devices for moving said clamp bar within said clamp frame.

2. A valve spring compressing clampcomprising an open clamp. frame having a straight top side, a forked footat the bottom extremity of said clamp frame, plates,

secured to opposite sides of the upper extremity of said clamp frame and projecting forwardly therefrom to form a guideway,

a clamp bar movable lengthwise within sald guideway, ratchet teeth formed onthe rear edge of said clamp bar, a linkpivoted to said plates, a lever arm fulcrumed on the upper endof said link and pivotallyconnected with the top end of said clamp bar,- and a spring pressed pawl member guided for movement along the lower edge ofthe straight top side of said clamp frame and arranged to engage with the ratchet teeth of the said clamp bar, said pawl having. its 7.

outer end bent downwardly to-form afingerhold.

3. valve spring compressing clampi comprislng an open clamp frame having a straight top side, a forked foot at the bottom extremity of said clamp frame, plates secured on opposite sides of the upper extremity of said clamp frame and projecting forwardly therefrom, a spacing block secured between said plates and cooperating with said plates and said clamp frame to form a guideway, another spacing block secured between said plates below the end of said clamp frame and spaced slightly from said clamp frame, a clamp bar movable lengthwise within said guideway, ratchet teeth formed on the/rear edge of said clamp bar, a link pivoted to the front edges of said plates, a lever arm fulcrumed on the upper end of said link and pivotally connected with the top end of said clamp bar, and a spring pressed pawl disposed directly below and movable lengthwise along said straight top side to engage the ratchet teeth on said clamp bar and normally prea GEORGE?- P. WEBSTER.

Washington, this 

